Moroccan star Ayoub Bouaddi caught the attention with an impressive performance in his first start for English club Manchester City, earning widespread praise following their 2–0 victory away to Portuguese side Porto on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League.
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The 18-year-old midfielder appeared to possess the qualities needed to fill in for the absent Spanish star Rodri, showing great confidence and composure that impressed his teammates, most notably Norwegian striker
Erling Haaland, who scored both goals in the victory.
“We discovered a gem”
Haaland expressed his admiration for the Moroccan youngster, saying:
“He had a great game. His level in training over the past two weeks has been incredible, and I told the club chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, about it. Honestly, I think we’ve found a gem.”
At 18 years and 341 days old, Bouaddi became the fourth-youngest player to start a Champions League match for Manchester City.
Despite the praise, the Norwegian striker also took the opportunity to jokingly tease his young teammate over a moment early in the second half, explaining:
“I was a little annoyed because he chose another option and didn’t pass me the ball when I was completely free. I’ll tell him now that he had an excellent performance apart from that pass.”
Maresca: Exceptional maturity
Italian coach Enzo Maresca also praised Bouaddi’s composure, saying:
“He is a fantastic player. Despite losing the ball twice against Coventry, he came back and behaved with complete calm inside our penalty area, which is a situation that could cause panic for other players his age.”
Maresca added:
“What sets him apart is his great maturity. He speaks three languages fluently, and this maturity is what pushed the club to make a major effort to sign him.”
Statistically, the Moroccan star produced an outstanding display against Porto, completing 54 of 55 passes, making four successful dribbles, winning back possession seven times, and competing in 13 duels.
Meanwhile, Scottish football star
Pat Nevin praised Bouaddi’s performance on BBC radio, saying his style of play suggests that he was “born for this”, adding:
“He is an extremely special player, and I can’t take my eyes off him.”
The rapid emergence of Bouaddi has also eased questions surrounding his record-breaking €100 million transfer, which made him the most expensive player to move from the French league to a foreign club, after joining from Lille.
Bouaddi is already proving to be a strategic option for the current season, building on his impressive performances with the Atlas Lions in the most recent FIFA World Cup.
